Writing and finishing the draft for the final report and peer reviewing a groupmate’s report were the major activities for unit 3. It was my first time writing a formal report with such scope and depth so I felt that it was the most challenging unit so far. A great amount of time was spent on researching about the topic and issues through interviews, surveys and secondary sources. I conducted interviews with a general manager of a restaurant and an account executive of company that supplies environmentally friendly take-out food containers. Additionally, I conducted quick surveys to gather all necessary information needed to write the report. Interpreting the data and information collected and presenting it in a clear and structured manner that would make sense to the reader took more time than I anticipated. Different viewpoints have to be considered so things can be evaluated more objectively. Writing the formal report was a good overall experience that I believe would be useful for other courses and my future job, especially during the editing phase and applying the You-Attitude. Considering the audience of the report to make it more reader-centered and organizing the details in an easy to understand and coherent manner were among other important things I learned when writing the formal report draft.
Peer Review
I reviewed Cynthia Li’s final report draft, “Studying and Increasing Information and Support Surrounding Homelessness in Communities such as The Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre (CDIRCS)”. I really thought that Cynthia’s paper touches on a very relevant issue, especially with the increasing homelessness in many areas and the current Covid-19 situation that has threatened to exacerbate the problem. Overall, Cynthia’s final report draft was written with a professional tone and a You-Attitude perspective. She did a great job writing a concise and informative report.
I recommended including a clear problem statement that would help convey a more effective message to the reader on why the report is important. Additionally, I also suggested that the Analysis of Findings and Summary of Findings sections be completed because they would help justify the recommendations that are presented.
I believe that this information will make the report more relevant, coherent, and persuasive. Overall, Cynthia’s report flowed well, making it easy for the reader to understand the information presented. Hopefully, my peer review will be helpful for her report’s final version. After having done several peer reviews in this course, it is the first time I peer reviewed a longer and more complex article while incorporating a You-Attitude perspective. Doing this gave me a better perspective on how to edit my final report. Improving my peer review skills can help me produce more effective articles and letters.
Formal Report Draft: 301 Joanna Yu Final Report draft